About The Teachers At Music Together!

Were you thinking of joining a Music Together First Notes class this fall? You still can!  Visit Music Together's website to find out more about opportunities for free demonstration or to locate a class nearest to you.

Wondering about the people teaching Music Together?   We'd love to tell you!

All of our teachers are passionate about music and the development of children. 

They create a fun, informal, social setting that spurs engagement and supports each child's musical development. All teachers employed by First Notes have completed teacher training sponsored by the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, New Jersey. 

Karen plays second trumpet with the Pittsburgh Ballet and Opera Orchestras. A member of the faculty at the Rogers Middle School for the Arts from 1981 to 2009, she has also taught music at Carriage House Children’s Center in Squirrel Hill. Karen formerly taught in the Music Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and at Seton Hill College. She holds Music Together® Certification Level II, Early Childhood Music and Movement Association Certification Level II, and Orff Level One Certification. 

She has been a presenter at the Pittsburgh Association of Educators of Young Children annual conference on three occasions, and has led workshops with early childhood educators on children's musical development. She has been a guest presenter at the Greater Pittsburgh Montessori Society. Karen is working to complete her certification in the PQAS training system to provide continuing education for early childhood educators.

Karen attended Music Together classes with her children, Ean and Marnie. She is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, National Association of Educators of Young Children, and the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association.

Debbey has been working with young children for the past 25 years and has played and enjoyed many genres of music all of her life. In school she was in the chorus and band and was the chorus director in the high school musical. She plays the flute-both Western and Chinese (xiao) and guitar and sings (in the shower, in the car, around the house), whenever possible.

Debbey majored in developmental psychology as an undergrad and did her graduate work in occupational therapy with a focus on pediatrics. She did an internship at the Experimental Education Unit in Seattle, WA, worked in San Francisco at the Easter Seals Early intervention program, did individual therapy and movement groups in the Head Start program and ran dance/movement groups for children and teens with special needs at the Children’s Center for Movement Therapy. She lived for a year in China, where she volunteered at an orphanage, teaching staff about therapy and development and working with the babies there, and studying Chinese flute. In Pittsburgh she has worked as an OT in the school system and currently works in early intervention – visiting children with developmental concerns and their families at home. She is also a certified Infant Massage instructor and practitioner of Yoga for the Special Child.

Debbey came to Music Together by way of her youngest child, Aviv, and fell in love with the program. She felt it was an amazing way to introduce young children, in a developmentally appropriate way, to love and enjoy music. She was thrilled to do the Music Together teacher training and enjoys sharing her love of music with children and their families.

Kristin received her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Music degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied with Ralph Zitterbart and Sergey Schepkin. Her work at CMU also includes earning her Certificate in Piano Pedagogy and research in Dalcroze Eurythmics, a method of teaching music that focuses on using rhythmic movement, ear training, and improvisation to unlock creativity and enlivened music making. Along with her music studies, Kristin has training in the Alexander Technique, a technique which focuses on teaching students to recognize and overcome habituated limitations within their manner of movement and thinking. Kristin currently teaches music at the Carnegie Mellon Preparatory School, the Sweetwater Arts Center, Pittsburgh Rogers CAPA 6-8, and the Yeshiva School. She recently joined the music department faculty at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. Kristin was the winner of the Steinway Society of Pittsburgh’s annual piano competition in 2003.

Margaux Matz began her musical career through violin lessons at the age of 9. For 13 years, she performed primarily on the violin and went on to earn her Bachelor's in Violin Performance at Duquesne University's Mary Pappert School of Music, of which she graduated cum laude. In the last year of her undergraduate education however, she decided to switch to the viola and went on to pursue a Master's in Viola Performance at her alma mater. In addition to being awarded a scholarship, she was also awarded an assistantship with Amanda Ford, director of Music Career Services. She studies with Pittsburgh Symphony violist Marylene Gingras-Roy.

Margaux currently works primarily as a freelance musician in the Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, performing in regional orchestras and at weddings, church services, and other special events. She regularly performs with the Johnstown Symphony and has also performed with the Washington and Altoona Symphonies, as well as the Erie Philharmonic. During her time at Duquesne, she has had the privilege of working under conductors such as Jeffrey Turner and the late Sidney Harth and has served as co-principal violist of the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra. Margaux has also performed in music festivals such as the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina, the Meadowmount School in Westport, NY, and the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, VT, and the Interharmony International Music Festival in Tuscany, Italy.

Alongside her performing, Margaux maintains a teaching studio at the Pittsburgh Music Academy in Carnegie. She also maintained a private studio at Caruso's Music Store in Carrick for the past 2 years. She is a Suzuki-certified violin teacher and received her training from Sonja Zeithamel, Marilyn O'Boyle, and Roger Stieg.

Courtney Heath

Courtney has been singing and playing music all her life. Raised in a very musical family, she was actively involved in school, church and community choirs and orchestras. She studied music and received her B. A. in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. She then went on to receive her Elementary Education Certification in the state of Texas. 

After 3 fulfilling years in the classroom, Courtney left the public school system to stay at home with her 2 young children. During that time she taught preschool music classes at a prominent children’s activity center. In addition to offering families the opportunity to make Music Together®, Courtney is a children’s choral director at a large church in suburban Pittsburgh and a member of the Chorister Guild. She is a preschool music specialist for area nursery schools. She plays the piano,cello, and guitar. Courtney feels incredibly blessed to share her love of music in so many ways with the community. 

Music Together is another opportunity to share her two passions, music and working with young children. Courtney is also director of Sweet Sound, offering Music Together classes in Bethel Park.

Visit Music Together First Notes today or find them on Facebook!